Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,056 in Santa Fe versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,621 in Santa Fe versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,186 in Santa Fe versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Santa Fe costs roughly 23% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Fe is 23% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

203.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.79 ARS 57.0K

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

5.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.60 ARS 19.0K

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

123.80%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ARS 2,682

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

-36.88%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ARS 2,255

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 ARS 2,074

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

72.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ARS 5,066

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 ARS 7,699

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

18.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,532

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

-36.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ARS 2,397

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

-29.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,543

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

-12.82%

Eggs

$1.54 ARS 2,327

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

-29.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 ARS 12.5K

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-52.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 ARS 9,222

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

50.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 ARS 15.7K

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

-14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,011

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

-44.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,313

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ARS 1,310

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

-62.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ARS 3,644

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

23.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ARS 821

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

-70.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ARS 1,040

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

-70.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,537

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ARS 1,550

$0.54 Rp 9,560

90.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ARS 4,857

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 ARS 7,269

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-79.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ARS 1,903

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ARS 3,084

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

-33.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ARS 1,545

$0.25 Rp 4,365

308.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 ARS 1,527

$0.49 Rp 8,631

106.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,475

$0.47 Rp 8,349

108.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.30 ARS 11.0K

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

30.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ARS 1,733

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

41.98%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.0K ARS 30.2M

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

-19.96%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

-3.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$60.7 ARS 91.6K

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

-26.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.75 ARS 29.8K

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

204.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.87 ARS 31.5K

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

11.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.07 ARS 51.4K

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

-38.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ARS 7,162

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

10.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$300 ARS 453.3K

$494 Rp 8.7M

-39.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,212 ARS 6.4M

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

-28.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 ARS 133.4K

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

91.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 ARS 92.1K

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

67.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ARS 178.0K

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

46.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 209.6K

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

76.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 ARS 772.2K

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-54.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ARS 551.4K

$693 Rp 12.2M

-47.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 ARS 1.4M

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 ARS 892.4K

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

-65.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,384 ARS 3.6M

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

-13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$826 ARS 1.2M

$167 Rp 2.9M

394.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

13.78

310.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Santa Fe: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Santa Fe and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 395% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Santa Fe vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $294, with Santa Fe cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Santa Fe vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,056 vs $1,378 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 395% higher in Santa Fe, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $512 in Santa Fe versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $300 in Santa Fe versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Fe – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 in Santa Fe versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Santa Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.